In June, horror fans will be treated to the first two films in the Alien movie series. when The Screening Room in Kingston, Ontario presents both films in their Cinematica program. Alien screens June 15 at 9:30 p.m. Aliens on June 29 at 9:30 p.m. Below is my feature article about Sigourney Weaver published in The Heritage Newspaper on August 6, 1986.
In Aliens, Sigourney Weaver has become the most famous heroines of the silver screen. It is a tradition that goes back to the silent era when Pearl White starred in The Perils of Pauline.
Born Susan Weaver in New York City on October 8, 1949, she changed her name to Sigourney Weaver after a minor character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. The daughter of Pat Weaver, creator of NBC's Today Show and English actress Inglis, Sigourney attended Brearly, Chapin and Ethel Walker schools She then enrolled at Stanford University where she studied English Literature. After he graduation, she went to the Yale School of Drama where she co-wrote and performed a Brecht parody called Lusitania Songspiel.A few plays with off-Broadway and road company groups followed until 1978 when she was invited to test for the role of Ripley in Alien for director Ridley Scott. After its release in 1979, Her face graced the cover of Newsweek. For Aliens she is on the July 28, 1986 issue of Time.
In between the Alien films, she starred opposite William Hurt in Eyewitness (1981) as TV reporter Tony Solokow. Her sensitive performance caught the attention of Australian director Peter Weir who cast her The Year Of Living Dangerously (1983) as intelligence officer Jill Bryant who falls in love with Mel Gibson.
Other roles followed in Deal Of The Century (1983) and Ghostbusters (1984).
August 6, 1986
Copyright Rick Jackson 1986
